Taming A Dragonlord
by C.L. Night
Summary: Esther Walker leads a normal life, nothing spectacular truly happens. Well not to her at least. However when thrust back to a time with dragons and magic, she learns that her fate was never meant to be normal. Now she is the key to either the destruction or creation of the union of Albion. And the fate of the most powerful warlock of all time is intertwined with her destiny.
1. Turn Back the Hands of Time

Author's Note: An idea that I had for some time and I just never got around to it. Been a fan of the show for a while now and I just had to make a story. Anyway, please review. Constructive criticism is welcome. Also, _Merlin_ is property of BBC.

* * *

**_TAMING A DRAGONLORD ~ A MERLIN FANFICTION_**

_Written by C.L. Night_

_Genre ~ Adventure and Romance_

_Rating ~ T for mild sexual content, language, and violence_

_Pairings ~ Merlin/OC, Arwen, Slight Mergana_

* * *

**Chapter One : Turn Back the Hands of Time**

Gray irises scanned the pages of the history textbook, the words piquing little to no interest as the young woman read on. The information wasn't foreign to her, in fact, it was somehow lodged in her brain and the subject came natural to her but it still lead her to feel bored. History, especially Medieval Studies, was one of the twenty-two year old's strong points. She tend to know much about the subject and without checking confirmation from textbooks or professors. Already achieving her B.A., many suggested that she become an expert in the field, and that's why she was sitting in the University's library looking over _History's Greatest Monarchs. _A tired sigh exhaled from between her firm tan lips as she leaned back in the wooden chair. She was so freaking tired and she would give anything to just fall asleep. Her eyelids slowly closed as she tuned out the hushed conversations and the pattering of feet against hardwood floors. In an instant, her mind traveled to that odd part of her subconscious that she begun to visit frequently.

Her bare feet walked along cool green blades of grass. Warm breezes brushed against her cocoa skin as she moved through tall trees, their leaves creating a canopy above her. This place was something she often visited in her dreams. However, when she awoke, the image would vanish and she would be left feeling that she should remember that place. Her eyes focused on a figure that stood in the middle of a clearing. Short black hair, lengthy figure dressed in old clothing. He looked to the sky, unaware of the woman who stood in the midst of the trees. Fluttering of wings rung in her ears and her eyes widened as a large beast hovered above before landing; its head bowed to the male. She seen this male before. It wasn't surprising that he would again appear in her dreams. His lips moved but no sound was heard. Instead, the dragon nodded its scaly head.

"Tempus et deos fac voluntatis," The words seemed to surround her. The image of the beast and the stag deteriorated as the words echoed in her ears. This was new. Eyes searching for the source, the voice continued. "Summone qui de quo quod defert sanguinem draconum." Something was calling, calling to the very fiber of her being. Her limbs began to feel like jello. Her legs weakened and she fell to the floor. "Stop it!" she cried out as she covered her ears. However, the voice grew louder and more forceful. Fear began to clutch her, rising from the pit of her stomach. This never happened in her dreams and it frightened her.

"Esther!"

Shooting her eyes open, the worried tan face of her friend, Connor, came into view. Those hazel eyes shimmering with worry under furrowed bushy auburn brows. He let out a relieved sigh realizing that she was awake. "Christ, are you alright?"

Esther sat up in her chair, placing her head in her palms. Sweat formed on her brow. "Yeah... just another weird dream." Regaining her composure, Esther glanced up at the Irishman and she blinked as a realization hit her. "What are you doing here, Walsh? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I am," He gave a wry smirk before turning a chair around and seating down, his forearms resting in front of him on the back of the chair while his legs sprawled apart to the sides. "But the doc decided to let us out a little early. Besides, I came to answer your problems."

The statement caused a dry chuckle to come from the woman. "And what problems would those be?" Connor Walsh always had a knack for teasing her, ever since they were young. However, it wasn't no surprise that her stressed disposition was so easy to pick up on. Frequent restless nights, lack of appetite, and shifting work and school written all over her. Still, if there was anything admirable about Esther Walker, it was the way she continued to push on and still succeed.

Connor smiled, "Come and have a drink with me tonight. Come out and have some fun once in a while. We both know you need it."

"Maybe next time, Walsh. Since I don't have work, I already decided to wrap up some of these papers." She responded, placing her books in her bag and rising from her seat. "I'll talk you to later."

"Alright, lady." He nodded as he watched her leave.

_Damn._ She thought as she stepped out of the library's door and onto the stone stairs. Rain fell from the gray sky and smacked against the streets and cemented sidewalks. People moved hastily about, their focus on getting out of the rain or to their next destination. Why did it have to rain today? Sighing, she pulled the hood over her head and shifted the weight of her bag on her right shoulder. She joined the bustling crowd and made her way through the drenching rain. Luckily, her apartment was only ten blocks from the university. As she made her way up to the front door, an odd sliver of fear spiraled through her being that caused her to stop frozen. She felt cold, like all warmth had vanished. Slowly, her eyes glanced over her shoulder. A figure stood across the street. Soulless metallic eyes peered through the shadow of the black cloak. Strands of oily black hair fell over sunken pale cheeks and wrinkled forehead.

The young woman's heart raced as she stared at the unknown male. His pale bloodless lips moved, "Baeto." The words came in a hushed scratchy voice, a voice she heard before. It struck fear into her heart and she felt as if her soul was draining. Her muscles ached. She turned her gaze away and closed her eyes. The sound of a car rushing by broke her out of the trance. Opening her eyes, she glanced back where the man stood and... there was no one there.

"Get a hold of yourself, Esther..." she commanded of herself. She struggled to get the door open but once she did, she moved into the walkway rather quickly and slammed the door behind her, shutting out the strange visitor and the rain. She was safe. Kicking off her boots onto the beige welcome mat and shrugging off her wet hoodie, Esther walked into her modest but quaint apartment. She flipped on the switch that cause her living room to illuminate, revealing a simple white sofa against the pumpkin colored wall, a small glass table with a lone vase filled with poppies and lilies, and long oak bookcase with various books organized neatly. A black stereo stood between a self-painting that she done years ago and a door that led to her bedroom. A sigh escaped her as she closed the white curtains over the square windows. The apartment was quiet and it always disturbed her since then; although she now begun to grow accustom to the lonely silence.

Her feet patted across the wooden floors as she moved towards the open kitchen and stepped down the step that broke the kitchen from the living room. Much like the rest of her apartment, the kitchen was modest, only supplied with a refrigerator, a gas stove between two counters and a microwave, all aligned against the cracked brick wall. The woman's hand reached for the handle of the fridge and tugged it open so she could peer inside. Those gray orbs, rimmed with dark black curly eyelashes, scanned over her item of interest, a bowl of her mother's leftover spaghetti. She licked her lips as she took hold of it and placed it in the microwave.

A clank caught her attention and drove her away from her meager meal. She walked back towards her door and wasn't surprised to see her mail damp and sprawled onto the floor. "Damn mailman... always late." Picking up her mail, she nonchalantly flipped through the envelopes, reading the items aloud. "Water bill. Rent. Gas bill." She stated uninterested. Her hands stopped, however, on a red envelope with the name, Andrea Walker, written in an impressive and familiar handwriting. Something mixed with regret and annoyance fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she stared at the envelope from her elder sister. It wasn't odd that her sister sent her a letter after what happened but Esther couldn't help but feel disrespected. Sitting the rest of the mail on the glass table, she sat on her plush sofa as she stared at the envelope. What the hell did she have to say after what she done. What could she say. Angry, the young woman dropped the letter onto the table, allowing it to join the others. "Forget it."

The hours passed rather slowly as the young woman attend to her daily activities. As her eyes read over the last line of her paper, she smiled in appraisal of her work. It was an essay based on the monarchs of old and legend. She stretched her long bare arms behind her back and ran her fingers through her thick bluish black wooly, straight hair. A few rebellious strands falling back in front of her forehead. Her eyes glanced at the time on her laptop and she yawned, realizing that it was a little past ten. Rising up from her desk, she decided to check the locks on the front door before she head to bed. Once she was done with her safety check, her eyes settled on the envelope. Esther couldn't sate her curiosity and picked it up before going into her room. She opened the letter as she sat on her double bed.

_Esther, _

_It has been months since we have spoken and it is not surprising after what happened. However, I can not let this continue, even though you are willing to. Dad always told us to be strong and that we should stay close no matter what. I know that we never gotten along well and now, you despise me. But you ARE my sister, my blood, and we have to stop this. I hate myself for what I did to you. I am terribly sorry, Esther. When I was in London, I stumbled across something you may like. It's supposed to be historical and it brings good luck. I sent it with this letter. I know that this can't possibly erase what I have done, but hopefully, it serves as a part of my apology. Please take it, love. If this helps in any way, I hope that you can respond to me. _

_Love, Andrea_

Esther's face softened and she released a sigh before placing the letter on her nightstand. Opening the envelope more, she pulled out the gift. A leather string chocker embedded with black pearls and something that resembled a fang dangled in the middle of it. As the young woman looked closer, she could see an odd symbol etched into the fang. It was an odd and interesting piece indeed. She toyed with it between her fingers, inspecting it further. Suddenly, a burning sensation shot up through her arm, causing her to drop the trinket. However, the pain did not stop. The pain burned through her bones and she winced, her hand clasping her left arm. "What the hell?!" she panted, frightened.

_"Sit tempore et spatio revelare draco sanguine."_ The voice echoed around her and she fell from her bed on her knees. She panted as her mind began to swirl and her vision shifted. _"Voco te." _The words were the last thing she heard before she collapsed onto her floor, the pain too much to bear, her vision black.

**~ooo~**

The sound of chirping surrounded the young female. A warm breeze caressed her relaxed face, shifting strands of her choppy bang. Their was a coolness against her back and the back of her legs and arms. Her eyes were closed shut, her lips parted slightly. Her limbs lay by her side limp. A leaf fell from the tree above her and tickled her eyelid and cheek before it cascaded to the ground beside her head. Fluttering her eyelids open, her vision swirled as she sat up slowly. Her hand rubbing her throbbing arm. "God, what was that..." As her vision adjusted, panic began to manifest in her stomach. Trees surrounded her, a blue sky was above her head. First instinct was yelling at her that it was another dream but the ground beneath her bare feet felt all too real. She spun as she gazed around her. "This can't be real..." She told herself. She gripped her hair, "Wake up. Wake up!"

The words did nothing and she couldn't pull herself from this odd dream. Taking an inhale of the forest air, she tried to calm her ever-rising fear. "Come on, Esther. Focus." Esther commanded, she glanced around. Staying in one place wouldn't help much with her situation. So, she began her search. She didn't know what she was searching for but anything would be good. The grass beneath her feet was cool as she trekked along the forest. This was weird. Talking was heard not too far off from where she was and decided to head in that direction. She jogged towards the voice and she stumbled out of the dense foliage and onto a dirt path. Her eyes averted to a woman with a young boy. What struck her as odd were their clothing. The woman's body was obscured by a simple beige wool dress and her golden hair was pulled up into a bun. The boy wore a small tunic and tights. This was most peculiar. However, she ignored this and made her presence known.

"Excuse me." Esther called, walking up to them. The woman gazed at her with wariness as she pulled her boy closer. Her eyes trailed up and down the young woman. Esther already felt hesitant to talk to the woman but she needed answers. "Um, I need help. I woke up in the woods and I have no clue where I am." She blurted out rather quickly, her panic evident in her voice.

The woman took a step back. "Are you a witch?" It was a question but the tone implied that it was more of an accusation. "If you are, we don't need any trouble."

The question caused Esther to raise an eyebrow and gave a sardonic chuckle in response. "A witch? No."

"Then why you are wearing strange clothing?"

Esther blinked and glanced down at herself. She wore a simple tank-top and a pair of black boxers. Her night-clothes. Embarrassment became written on her features and she shifted uncomfortably, her arms going up to cover her breasts. "Look, can you just tell me where I am and I'll be on my way."

"You are near Anier Village, in the kingdom of Camelot." The boy spoke up behind his mother who quickly hushed him.

"C-Camelot?" The name seemed preposterous. Camelot, the greatest kingdom in Arthurian legend. "And let me guess, King Arthur rules it." The boy gave a simple nod and Esther shook her head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Camelot is just a legend. Isn't it? She paced a couple of times, trying to figure out what to do. She needed to get home and out of this fairy tale nonsense.

"Well, miss. We have to bid you farewell. Hope you find whatever it is you are looking for." The woman interrupted and gave a slight nod before turning to walk down the road.

Esther felt a need to go with her but decided against it, the sense of not welcome to do so still present. But where should she go? She needed answers to why she was here and how the hell did she get here in this supposedly Camelot. Nothing was making sense. A scream broke her out of her thoughts. It was a woman and the voice of a young boy echoed farther down the road. Without too much thought, she ran down the road and turned the bend where she was faced with two men dressed in ragged clothing assaulting the mother and her boy. "Hey!"

Her voice caught their attention and one of them simply tilted his head to get a better look at her. "Now what do we have here?" His voice oozed from between his lips. He stalked towards her. "A little nosey aren't cha?"

The mother struggle to squirm out of the other man's grip. "Run, girl!"

Esther ignored the woman's order and stood her ground. Fear and panic settled in her being but she stood with a stoic face. Her fists were at her sides as the man stalked towards her, his lecherous eyes trailing down her hourglass figure. "Let them go." The words did not betray her emotions, the inner fear was hidden away from her predators.

"Let them go?" The bandit chuckled, glancing back at his comrade. "Oh you are a brave lass." His hand reached out for her and Esther prepared herself. She quickly snatched up a fallen branch and smacked the man inside the head, sending him tumbling over. His comrade pushed the woman aside and unsheathed his sword, his attention now on Esther. She sent another smack to the fallen bandit before taking off down the road. Their footsteps now was audible behind her as she ran. Pebbles from the road lodged themselves into the soles of her feet but she continued to run. A horse ran in front of her and caused her to turn on her heels. Other bandits on horseback came striding out of the foliage, surrounding her. As the man came towards her, she swung maniacally in attempt to protect herself.

However, a stick doesn't compare to ten swords. It wasn't long until they disarmed her and had them in her clutches. She struggled and cursed as she tried to escape. Though, her motions were halted when a sword was pointed at her neck by what seemed to be the leader of the group. His ember eyes scanned over her but lingered on her neck. He moved closer and gripped the necklace that was now around her neck. Esther never realized that she had it on and that scared her. His eyes inspected it before smiling. "We found her. Our mistress will be pleased..." He looked down into her gray eyes and gave a small smirk. "Let's go."

The cage door was thrown open and she was thrown into the space, her wrists bounded. The door slammed behind her and she watched as a bandit lock the door. "What are you doing? Let me out!" Esther screamed, though her protests were ignored. The sound of a reign whipping sounded and the cage began to move along with the soldiers.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into!_


	2. Of Kings, Knights, and Warlocks

Author's Note: Thank you for those who added this story to their alerts and favorites! Oh, I changed Esther's appearance a little. I just changed her hair though. It's updated in the first chapter as well to clarify that it wasn't due to the time travel. Anyway, here's the next chapter of the story. Enjoy.

* * *

**_TAMING A DRAGONLORD ~ A MERLIN FANFICTION_**

_Written by C.L. Night_

_Genre ~ Adventure and Romance_

_Rating ~ T for mild sexual content, language, and violence_

_Pairings ~ Merlin/OC, Arwen, Slight Mergana_

* * *

**Chapter Two : Of Kings, Knights, and Warlocks**

Slender fingers fiddled with the fang around her neck as she curled up inside of her cage. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, her feet close together to keep warmth between her toes. It had been a day since she was captured and all the while, her captors refused to speak of where they were hauling her away to. Esther let out a sigh. Her breath visible in the misty air. She was cold, hungry, and not to mention afraid. Tugging at the rope that bounded her wrists forced blood to stain the material, and the skin underneath burned and stung. It made no sense. The young woman's eyes teared as she watched her captors move forward through the mist of early dawn. She didn't belong here. This wasn't her time. She was just an average college student so why the hell was she here back in time, huddled in a cage. She just wanted to go back home. Burying her head into her knees, she prayed that wherever they were taking her wouldn't be worst than this.

Her left arm began to throb and she picked her head up, her eyes examining it. She knew she didn't receive any wounds but she assumed it was probably because of the lack of movement and was probably just going numb. However, the familiar burning told her otherwise. She gritted her teeth as the fire engulfed her arm once more and before long, she let out a short whimper. "W-What is this..." she panted, trying to stop the burning. Within seconds, the burning eased and Ester released a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. A black mark entwined around her forearm like a vine around a tree. It somehow resembled some form of reptile that Esther just couldn't place her finger on it. Fright wormed through her being. What was going on with her? The cart halted and her attention traveled over to her captors. They glanced at each other briefly before their hands gripped the hilts of their swords.

"A fallen tree blocks the path, sir." One of the bandits called from the front to the leader. Esther moved closer to the edge of her cage, her eyes struggling to get a view of the situation. Something in her gut told her that this was going to get bad very quickly. As if on cue, something whizzed through the air and shot a man off of his horse. The body fell in front of her cage and her eyes widened in fear. An arrow was lodged into his chest. "Ambush!" The leader shouted before men dressed in armor came barging out of the trees. Their red capes swirling around them as their swords clashed with her captors. Esther's eyes watched as blades imbedded into men's chests. Turning away from the gruesome sights of the battle, she focused on trying to get out of her bindings. There was no telling if her captors' enemies would let her go or just kill her. The latter seemed to be more appropriate in this era.

The cage door was opened which caused the young woman to quickly avert her gaze towards the leader of her captors. "Come on!" He demanded as he grabbed hold of the rope that bounded her and dragged her from her cage. Esther attempted to release herself from his grasp but was just dragged into the trees away from the massacre along with a couple of other bandits. As they dragged her through the woods, Esther pulled at her constraints but only served to anger the bandit leader more. "Keep moving!" he demanded tugging her along. Esther gritted her teeth and sent a hard kick to the man's shin and took off away from the bandits. However, she didn't get very far due to the grip on her hair that thrusted her to the ground. Cold steel pressed against her neck, halting her from getting back to her feet.

"Stop it!" The leader commanded the bandit that held the blade to her skin. His amber eyes glinted in annoyance as he glanced down at her before back to his subordinate.

"Why don't we just kill the little bitch? We can escape faster if we don't have to take her with us." The blade pressed harder against the soft cocoa skin of her neck, drawing blood that trickled down her skin. She winced at the contact. Her gray eyes peering up at the bandit that smirked down at her.

The leader glared at his subordinate. "Would you rather face Morgana's wrath, instead?"

The name floated around Esther's head. Something told her that she should recognize the name but it evaded her grasp. The conversation between the bandits were interrupted when their enemies surrounded them. Her heart raced in her chest. The bandits unsheathed their swords. The young woman glanced around them. There wasn't the same number of the armored that attacked them before. Only a handful surrounded them. Still...

"Release the lady and surrender," A man came forward, his sword pointed to the bandit that held the blade to her neck. Strands of his short blonde hair was stuck to his forward due to the heavy mist.

The bandit leader stepped forward, "Sorry, but we have orders that forbid us to bide by your request." The words left his lips as a snide remark.

The blonde's men took a step forward. The bandit that held her at sword point gasped as a dagger's point emerged from his chest, he fell to the side. The bandits retaliated in a heartbeat. Esther panicked and began to scramble away from the corpse and the fighting. An arm wrapped around her torso, pulling her up from the ground and led her behind a tree away from the battle. Fear got the best of her and she quickly began to retaliate by squirming and pushing the body away from her.

"Be still! I won't hurt you." A voice caught her attention and her eyes settled on a pale face that smiled at her. Short black hair and blue caring eyes settled on her. Her struggles stopped instantly as her gray eyes widened and focused on the face that she seen so many times in her dreams for the past month. _He couldn't be... _His eyes lowered to the mark around her left arm and his eyes narrowed before removing the rope around her wrists. His attention averted to his companions that walked over, sheathing swords. Their attention first traveled to her clothes and Esther just wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you badly hurt?" The blonde spoke, his eyes softening.

Esther glanced between him and the men behind him. She slowly shook her head. "Who are you?"

"I am King Arthur of Camelot." The blonde announced rather proudly. He stood tall and valiant, which she would have expected of the fabled king of legend. Her eyes glanced over him, however, she would have expected him to be older. He only appeared to be three or so older than her. "May I ask what is your name?"

The young woman paused for a moment before replying, "Esther, my Grace. Esther Walker." The king nodded, accepting the answer. _I guess I'm lucky to have watched so many movies. _She thought with a small sigh. She didn't belong in this time and on the surface, it was noticeable. Although, she could pretend until she figured out why the hell she was here. Her thoughts were cut off when she felt something drape across her shoulders. She blinked realizing it was the stag's jacket. "Thank you, Sir..." she trailed off, not recalling a name to fit.

A knight behind the blonde chuckled at her words. His dark brown eyes landed on the stag then transferred to her. "Merlin's not a Sir. He's the cook!" The other knights and Arthur laughed along.

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Very funny, Gwaine."

_Merlin?! _Her eyes widened in shock as her vision began to grow hazy. This was just too much for her. Before she knew it, she felt her body giving out and her vision went black.

**~ooo~**

Something cool pressed against the warm forehead of the young woman, bringing her out of her unconsciousness. Gray eyes peered up into bluish green and in an instant, Esther shot up. Her head spun from the abrupt movement. Her eyes panically searched the room. Vials containing different colors of liquid, piles of books, and odd instruments were set up on tables. Bookcases lined the walls like some form of border. "Where am I?" She questioned, her eyes settling on the old man beside her. Wrinkles adorned his face and shaggy white hair fell to his jawline. A small smile formed on his lips as he placed a soothing hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Do not fret, young lady. You are in Camelot." The elder responded in a calm voice. His hand withdrew from her shoulder and picked up the cool rag that had fallen to the floor from her wild movements. "My name is Gaius. I'm the Court Physician."

Esther raised an eyebrow as she questioned his words. For a moment, she just stared at him before she released a sigh and relaxed in the cot that she was placed in. Her hand ran through her hair, trying to find a stable lifeline to keep her from going off the deep end. She tried to remember what exactly happened that led to this situation. She was captured, stuck in a cage. Then she was rescued by King Arthur and his wizard, Merlin. Just thinking about it made her feel like she was losing her mind. After that, she came up blank. "What happened?"

Gaius' gazed at her with a stern face and placed his hands in his lap. His eyes observed her closely. It appeared as if he were thinking on his words. Then he spoke, "You were exhausted and in shock, you passed out. The King and his knights brought you here to receive treatment." He stated, nodding to the bandages around her sore wrists and the now small scar at her neck where the bandit's blade had drew blood. "Might I ask, Lady Walker", He continued with a hint of suspicion evident in his voice, "what were you doing in that cage?"

Esther bit her lip, trying to figure out whether she should tell the truth or make something up. It wouldn't be so hard to do so if she needed to. Glancing up at the old man, she shook her head. "I was captured. I don't know why."

There was an awkward silence between the two. She didn't lie but she did withheld information. There was no telling how her actions would affect the time and she would rather not screw it up. She thought the old man was going to pry but instead he just nodded and stood, walking over to his table. He returned to her side with something folded in his hand. "My ward had found you some appropriate clothing." He held the clothes towards her, which she hesitantly accepted with a small smile. "You can change in the back room." He gave her a smile before she walked into the room.

The room was beyond messy. Books and clothes littered the floor, the bed, and the small table that set at the foot of the bed. She scrunched up her nose at the odd smell of dust and stuffiness in the small room. It seemed as if the room hasn't been cleaned in at least a month. "God, who would knew that an old man can be this messy." Her eyes traveled over to the small window. Climbing over the materials, she opened the glass to allow in some fresh air. The scent of freshly baked bread and grass carried on the breeze. Dogs barking and the bustle of kingdom echoed throughout. Everything was so different here. Shaking her head, she decided to clean herself up and get dressed in the clothing the old man provided for her.

The dress proved to be more difficult to operate than an engine, however. She spent most of the time trying to get it over her head. It was a relief when she finally got the damned thing on. It was a simple cloth dress that was dyed a ruby red color. It was off shoulder, allowing her bare skin to show. The cloth seemed to pull around her breasts, which she assumed it was due to the dress being small. Though, it fitted her well around the hip area while the skirt of the dress pooled around her legs and stopped just at her ankles. Esther found a leather belt that she could help tighten the area around her stomach. Her hair was finger combed and fell gracefully past her shoulders and evenly to the top of her breasts. A small smile played on her lips. "At least I look like an average peasant now." A dry chuckle came from her throat. "I'm slowly losing my mind." As she placed her hand on the knob, her name was mentioned.

"Something is odd about her, Gaius." The first voice she recognized and she bit her lip. It was the wizard's. Esther pressed her ear closer to the door, eavesdropping on the hushed conversation between the young wizard and the physician.

"Well she doesn't seem dangerous but she isn't telling the whole truth and I doubt she will." Gaius responded in a tired tone.

"That marking on her arm," Merlin pressed, "It's magic isn't it?"

_Magic? _The thought seemed ridiculous. She possessed nothing of the sort. However, it would explain her current predicament as in being stuck in medieval times behind a door, eavesdropping on the greatest warlock ever mentioned in ancient lore. Even though, she always presumed Merlin to be a genius, some man that just had intelligence that surpassed his people like Da Vinci and MichelAngelo. Many great men were considered to be magicians. Magic was just science. No sparkles or fairy dust.

It was an awkward silence between the two and Esther thought the two had noticed that she was eavesdropping on their conversation. However, Merlin pressed on. "Gaius?"

"I'm not quite sure but it looks like the Sigil of the Old Gods." Gaius murmured so low that Esther had to strain to hear. "If I'm not mistaken, the sigil is branded into a child's arm and was considered to be an omen. However, the sigil required the most powerful of sorcery, I do not believe anyone alive still holds that amount of power." There was a pause before the old man spoke again, "Until we figure exactly who this woman is, we must keep an ever vigilant eye."

A knock was heard and the two hushed up as someone else entered the room. "King Arthur wishes to speak with the maiden, Esther."


End file.
